AI-powered VFX startup Wonder Dynamics raises $10M In A round
Wonder Dynamics’ goal is to use AI and cloud services to make “blockbuster-level” visual effects accessible to living-room-level producers, though the company has kept its product under wraps. The mysterious startup, which has a star-studded advisory board, has received $10 million in an A round ahead of a scheduled launch in 2022. Nikola Todorovic and actor Tye Sheridan created the company after working on a film together a few years ago and discovering that they shared a belief in democratizing cinema technologies. Many technologies, such as high-resolution cameras and the computing capacity to edit and color film, have, of course, become more affordable and easier to use.
Serious VFX, on the other hand, are a different story, and the better realism of today’s cameras and screens need higher CG quality, which has kept the expense and barrier to entry high.Wonder Dynamics is a VFX platform that utilizes AI and cloud services to make these things easier, though exactly how is still something of a secret.
“The platform uses a completely new process, and it is an end-to-end solution for content creators who lack the technical knowledge necessary to produce CG and VFX content,” explained Todorovic. “For the professional artist, the output is exportable into existing workflow and software (Unreal, Blender, Maya, etc.). It is focused on post-production, but it will drastically reduce the need for hardware, equipment and additional effort in production as it exists today.”
We’ll know more when they debut the platform at SXSW in 2022, but until then skeptics might be comforted by the presence of Steven Spielberg and Joe Russo on its advisory board. Both are of course seasoned directors and picky about the looks of their films; Russo (and his brother Anthony Russo) in particular is known for preferring practical effects to CG where the latter is not absolutely required, so his support is notable.
In a news statement, Sheridan stated, “As we got farther into our work, we understood that this could be more than just software for Visual Effects.” “Not only can we utilise our platform for cinema and television, but we can also use it for video games, social media material, and even the Metaverse.”
The latter gives extra reason for Epic Games and Samsung Next, two of the new investors. Horizon Ventures led the $10 million round, with Founders Fund and MaC Venture Capital returning as seed investors.
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